Repairing Pot Metal before chroming

I am sure there is another thread somewhere relating to this, but I'm still an FNG and finding my way round.

I have a pair of 54 Buick headlight rims and they need some repairing before rechoming. One will probably come up alright after a couple of dips in the copper, but the other is pretty pitted.

The pitting is deeper than copper will fill so I was thinking of using that low melting point "muggyweld" stuff or something similar.

Any advice on this would be helpful. If I can't get them fixed I will have to french the outside rim onto my wing and paint it, it would be nice to have the option though.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=322695&highlight=chrome+pot

 

Haven't tried it, but from what their website states, I'd be willing to spend $50 to find out.

 

you will have to remove the old chrome first. What ever you use will have to conduct electricity in order to be plated. A good chrome shop will do all that for you.

 

Just send them to a "good" chrome shop like Pauls in Tenn,and they will repair it for you before chroming....................Dont take a chance on ruining it yourself

 

Thanks for the info guys. Will probably take them to London where there is one of the few remaining decent chromers in Southern UK (they chromed a complete car a few years back!), and see what kind of price I will be looking at. That will be a factor in whether I french them in as well.

 

Anything you do to "repair" it, a good chrome shop will undo before it chromes. Not to say you can't do a good job, but a plater probably won't risk their reputation by plating over work that they didn't do.

Personally, I would look for a pair of '53 headlight bezels, they were stainless steel but otherwise identical. They'd be cheaper than having some rechromed and they'd stay nice forever. (or is it '54 bezels that are stainless and the '53 were potmetal? It's one way or the other)

 

And don't ask a plater to dip them. Thy tend to get upset when people say thy just dip parts. Their is a lot of work dun before thy plate

 

The best way is to find a good chrome shop and talk to them first. They may be able to fix it themselves. If they can't you can get it metal sprayed with copper or brass, most machine shops can do it shouldn't cost much for that.--TV

 

Save the money and french the headlights. It looks good and chroming ain't cheap....